You'll need to plan all applicable arrival and departure procedures, along with the approach to the designated airport. In addition, pilots must also consider if they'll need to file alternate airports in case the original destination's weather falls below the set minimums. That's not all!

As a regional airline pilot, you'll also need to plan alternate minimums if an alternate is needed, along with what airport the alternate would be. But how to choose between standard and non-standard alternate minimums that can be filed? Also, what are alternate minimums in IFR?

Advanced flight safety simulator trainers at Momentum Flight Training offer detailed insights into non-standard and standard alternate minimums, situations when an alternate is required, and some other information that will help you in your journey toward becoming a successful regional airline pilot.  

When Do Pilots Need to File an Alternative?

The FAA's focus is to ensure if the destination's forecasted weather doesn't meet the set threshold, pilots must have a workable 'Plan B' – one which doesn't put the flight into any unreasonable circumstances.

This plan would ideally include a more manageable weather condition than 'Plan A' so pilots could manage their stress and make sure they always have a reliable means of landing. In a nutshell, pilots can try 'Plan A' at the minimums approach airport. If the approach cannot be completed, a 'Plan B' is always ready with better weather and other scenarios.

As a rule of thumb, pilots always need to file an alternate airport unless the weather forecasts indicate at least 3 SM visibility and 2000' AGL ceiling from an hour before to an hour after the estimated time of arrival at the listed destination. The easiest way to remember this regulation is to memorize it as a 3-2-1 rule. Another way is to think of it as sequential factors for missed approaches: how far, how low, and how long.

You can technically file an alternate at airports without an instrument approach when the weather forecast at the ETA allows for descent from the Minimum Enroute Altitude (MEA), approach, and VFR landing.

These regulations are set by the FAA, so pilots don't have to choose an alternative with potentially worse or the same weather conditions as the original destination. Alternate minimums play a crucial part in flight planning from a safety and regulatory standpoint.

The buffer in the form of alternate airport filing requirements can be standard or non-standard alternate minimums. The former applies to every airport, whereas the latter varies from one approach to another.

Standard Alternate Minimum Requirements

According to 14 CFR 91.169, standard alternate minimums for IFR airports require the forecasted weather at the arrival time to 600-foot ceilings and visibility of at least two miles for precision approaches. When it comes to non-precision approaches, visibility remains two statute miles, but the ceiling must be 800 feet.

It implies that even if the chosen alternate airport follows an Instrument Landing System approach, with 200 feet DA, you can't file an alternate unless the projected circumstances at the arrival time are at least two statute visibility miles and 600 ceiling feet.

To reach projected weather that meets the standard alternate minimums, sometimes an airport 100 or more miles away could be selected if the Instrument Flight Rules fuel is widespread region-wide. But you must adhere to the IFR fuel requirements in this scenario.

The 91.167 dictates that pilots must have enough fuel to fly another 45 minutes past the destination at normal cruising speed. Pilots must quickly calculate the likely MEA given intended power settings, forecast upward winds, and actual airspeed. It's recommended to add more time for unexpected delays.

If the weather dictates filing an alternate, the second part of the mandate requires having enough fuel to fly to the primary destination, alternate, and then another 45 minutes at standard cruise power.

Non-Standard Alternate Minimum Requirements

Besides the standard 2-800 and 2-600 alternate minimums, another step in flight planning is to check whether any non-standard alternate minimums apply to the particular desired approach or alternate airport.

The idea is to add another safety layer, and pilots can typically tell whether an approach or airport has non-standard alternate minimums by looking for an inverted triangle with an 'A' on the approach plate.

FAA has devised standard and non-standard alternate minimums for an array of reasons. However, when planning the IFR flight, it's important to read all approach plates of anticipated approaches to know all potential flight implications.

You can learn and practice ways to deal with diverse flight situations, protocols, mechanisms, and emergencies in a safe and supportive environment in our 1-day, 3-day, and 5-day instructor-led crj 700 flight simulator training.

We use full-function state-of-the-art Advanced Aviation Training Devices (AATDs) designed to replicate realistic hypothetical scenarios to enable pilots to experience the flight deck environment of the Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet 200, 550, 700, and american airlines canadair regional jet 550.

Call [833] 427-5876 to speak with experienced instructors dedicated to helping regional pilots in training transition from smaller aircraft into a role with a regional airline.